Scott Arfield on his 'Broony' celebration, his mentality and why he hasn't watched Rangers' Old Firm win back yet

THE pictures and clips of him doing the ‘Broony’ and celebrating a famous Old Firm win have been doing the rounds since derby day. Scott Arfield still hasn’t seen a minute of the game back, though.

The midfielder encapsulated the performance and the scenes at Ibrox as Steven Gerrard’s side dominated Celtic and moved themselves into title contention thanks to Ryan Jack’s first half winner.

There wasn’t a failure in Light Blue as Rangers, to a man, stepped up and played when it mattered most. It wasn’t just a win, it was a statement of intent.

Arfield summed that up as well as anyone as he outfought and outclassed Celtic skipper Scott Brown and set the tone for a terrific showing from Gerrard’s side.

He would mimic Brown’s famous celebration as he stood, arms aloft and beaming, towards a man that had controlled these fixtures for some time.

“It was one of those things, I can’t even remember it,” Arfield said. “I got home and my mate showed me it and I have seen it 300 times. It went mad.

“I can’t remember when it was in the game and I haven’t watched the game back. It was a spur of the moment. I was appealing for a foul I think, I have no idea.

“There are a few things that you need to win this game, he has done it for years and probably got in the head of players a lot easier with different players.

“It is mind games at the end of the day. He has done it for years. That wasn’t my thinking, it was just spur of the moment. It was to win the game.

“To be honest, I am not that bothered [about Brown]. I am not bothered about what he thinks about anything. I am worried about winning games for Rangers.”

The effort that Arfield put in was crucial to the victory at Ibrox as he hassled and harried Brown and stifled the Celtic skipper’s influence significantly.

It was a performance – full of energy, aggression and skill - that Gerrard had always felt his side were capable of. There was no better time for them to produce it.

The individual battles were won all over the park. As a collective, there was no stopping Rangers on a day where they should have recorded a more comprehensive victory.

“It is right up there, it was the best game I have played in to be honest in terms of atmosphere,” Arfield said. “It was my second derby and losing the first, you quickly forget about that.

“You reflect, you take the good and the bad. That one, everything was there with the full house and winning the game, quite comfortably in the end. It was magic.

“You have to win [your individual battles] to win this game. If you look at the midfield three of me, Jacko and Ross (McCrorie), we won those battles and that is why we won the game.

“At Parkhead, we probably never won them and that is why they won it. In any big game, and particularly this game, it is winning the key battles and the key areas.

“The Parkhead game in particular never allowed us to get there. We had the flight back from Russia and maybe that was a factor in our mind subconsciously.

“But this game allowed us to get in their faces. The European games, particularly Villarreal away and at home, it was the same sort of performance and the way that we played, the intensity that we played, allowed me to get up there quickly and nullify that.

“As soon as he (Brown) starts dictating the game, Celtic are off to a flyer. You know you need to be up there and you know the other two in midfield have the ability as well.”

The performance and the win will live long in the memory for Rangers supporters that have suffered on derby day for several seasons now.

But Arfield hasn’t been caught up in the aftermath. A family holiday helped him relax for a few days and before he got back down to business with Gerrard’s side in Tenerife.

“I haven’t watched it,” Arfield said. “It is fresh in my mind so I don’t want to relive it in an image.

“After the Parkhead game, I was away on international duty and I never watched that game back until a couple of weeks later. That was good for me.

“Obviously we lost the game and I reflected on it going into the next game. I got away from it and I never read anything good or bad about the game. I have done the same again.

“I went away with the kids to Centre Parcs and not seen anything. I have not seen the game back, I don’t want to watch it back.

“It is fresh in my mind and I know what I did. I know how I played, I know how we played.”

Victory over Celtic was the highlight of the season so far for Rangers but there have been a number of encouraging signs since Gerrard arrived at Ibrox in the summer.

The calibre and quality of player has undoubtedly increased, but so too has the character of the men that the Liverpool legend trusts with a shirt.

Former Ibrox assistant Archie Knox compared Arfield’s work ethic to that of Gary Neville last week and the 30-year-old will continue to reap the rewards as he gears up for the title run-in.

Arfield said: “It is massive and in terms of mentality, you need to be tough, particularly at a club like this, and accept responsibility.

“That is what separates you and why many players have walked through the door and left soon after. The mentality and psychological aspect of playing for this club is massive.

“They were nice words [from Knox]. I did read it, my mate showed me it. I worked with Archie at Under 19s at Scotland.

“In terms of that, I have always been fixated on being the best that I can be. If I am not fit and can’t get around the football pitch, I cant get the best out of my ability.

“I have always had that mentality of being the best that I can be and nothing will stop me.

“I think everyone should have that, and whenever I get asked, it is about being solo minded and having that mentality to do it.”

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